According to a confirmed report from AllHipHop, Lil Nation aka CPO Boss Hogg died earlier this week from an unconfirmed cause. Boss Hogg, whose real name was Vincent Edwards, was 52 years old.
Ushered into the game by N.W.A.’s MC Ren, Boss Hogg headed off the group that included DJ Clarence “D.J. Train” Lars, who DJed for J.J. Fad and producer Daron “Young D” Sapp.
As a solo artist, CPO was a Death Row Records signee and appeared on the soundtracks for Above The Rim and Murder Was The Case. He never released a full length project on the historic imprint, he had his most recognized moment as a recording artist when he was featured on 2Pac’s “Picture Me Rollin.”
The Source Magazine sends its condolences to his relatives and Death Row family.
Former Death Row Records artist Danny Boy recently sat down with The Art Of Dialogue to talk about the Notorious B.I.G. murder in 1997, the person suspected of pulling the trigger that ended Biggie’s life and the vibe he got from the alleged murderer and associate of Suge Knight.
Danny Boy never says that he believes that infamous Blood gang member Wardell “Poochie” Fouse was the actual triggerman, but he did say that Poochie, who was killed in 2003, gave him the eerie feeling one would get from a killer.
“Do I believe that man was a killer?” he said. “I’ll answer that. He definitely was a killer. He looked like it. He acted like it when it he came in the room. It was something about him. He wasn’t a tall man. He wasn’t big, nothing like that. To me he looked like that wasn’t the one to fuck with.”
On this date in 1992, Dr. Dre released his debut solo album The Chronic on his own Death Row Records imprint, which was distributed by Priority Records. This album introduced the world to the Death Row experience, G-Funk infused Hip Hop and the one and only Snoop Doggy Dogg.
Recorded in Death Row Studios in L.A., The Chronic album was created under the influence of some of the most powerful marijuana in the United States during that time, hence, the title. It was also fueled by Dre’s relentless passion to show his former crewmates from N.W.A. that he could make it on his own as well as prove to the world that he could do more than just make dope beats.
Timeless tracks where Dre shined on the lyrical side include “Let Me Ride”, “Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang” along with Snoop, and “The Day The Niggaz Took Over”, where Daz, Dre, and RBX went in about racial tensions during the 1992 L.A. riots.
Even with its conceptual perfection and trailblazing sound, which left an open market for artists like The Dogg Pound, 213, and Warren G., The Chronic is still Dre’s second best-selling album behind The Chronic: 2001, which went sextuple platinum.
Salute to everyone at Death Row Records who contributed to this gangsta rap classic! Cali love!!
On this date in 1995, Death Row Records released one of the label’s most successful singles featuring Dr. Dre, Tupac Shakur, and Zapp frontman, the late Roger Troutman aptly titled “California Love” from ‘Pac’s All Eyez On Me LP.
As Tupac’s first single as a Death Row artist and as a free man after his 1994 rape conviction, California Love dropped during the height of the East Coast/West Coast rivalry and helped to propel Death Row to the top of the Hip Hop food chain, featuring the game’s hottest rapper and the most sought after producer. The B-side to the Jodeci-powered “How Do U Want It?” posted up in the Billboard pole position for a solid two weeks and ‘Pac was posthumously nominated for Grammys in the Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Performance By a Duo or Group categories.
“Only In Cali where we riot not rally, to live and die/ In L.A., we wearing Chucks, not Ballys(yeah, that’s right)..”
Salute to the late, great Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Suge Knight, the entire Death Row staff, the legend Roger Troutman and everyone involved with this smash single that will forever live in Hip Hop history.
On this date in 1996, Death Row Records, led by then CEO Suge Knight, dropped an exclusive Christmas project for the holiday season. Sadly, this album was released just shy of three months after the tragic shooting death of Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas.
The album featured all of Death Row’s favorite acts including Michel’le, who at the time was involved with Knight, Snoop Dogg and The Dogg Pound, Nate Dogg, Danny Boy, and several other up-and-coming artists on the label. The star-studded line-up rehashed many Christmas soul classics and carols including “Silver Bells,” “Frosty Thee Snowman,” and “White Christmas.” With 200K in sales, the virtually unheard of album didn’t do too bad. The best part was that it was reportedly all for charity.
Salute to the entire Death Row for releasing this under-the-radar Hip-Hop classic!
On this day in Hip Hop history, we celebrate the birth of one of Hip Hop and pop culture’s most recognizable icons, Snoop Doggy Dogg. Uncle Snoop was born Cordozar Calvin Broadus, Jr. in Long Beach, California in 1971. Since then he has risen to become a household name in Hip Hop. His image and style are synonymous with the West Coast and his name will forever stand among the Pantheon of legends who helped shape Hip Hop culture.
Over his 22 (and counting) album career, Snoop has always played close attention to visuals. With every album, Snoop has put together a theatrical representation of his G-Funk sound. In honor of his born day, we have compiled a list of the ten best videos from his 24-year career.
#10 “Vato” feat. B-Real – Tha Blue Carpet Treatment
In the streets of Los Angeles, African-Americans and Latinos have never really seen eye-to-eye. Due to the immense gang culture of this southern California metropolitan area, the two races have been at odds. With this video, Snoop and Chicano gangsta rapper B-Real come together to try and ease some of that racial tension. The video was directed by Phillip G. Atwell and premiered on BET on August 30, 2006. An animated version was also released in the following month.
#9 “Faden Away” as 7 Days of Funk – 7 Days of Funk
In 2013, Snoop Dogg amused the pseudonym Snoopzilla, teamed up with LA-based producer DāM-FunK, and became a part of the prolific synth-heavy G-Funk group 7 Days of Funk. The video for “Faden Away” has a very retro feel, reminiscent of the years when funk monopolized the airwaves. Directed by Henry DeMaio, the visuals serve as a funkadelic time machine taking viewers back to a good old fashion house party and is a part of a series.
#8 “Drop It Like It’s Hot” feat. Pharrell Williams – R&G (Rhythm and Gangsta): The Masterpiece
Possible Snoop’s most popular song of the decade, “Drop It Like It’s Hot”‘s simplistic black and white color scheme that perfectly complements the track’s crisp production and smooth lyrics. Directed by Paul Hunter, the video consists of cameos from Terry Kennedy, Lauren London, Neptunes producer Chad Hugo, and Pusha T. In 2005 the video won a MOBO Award for Best Video.
#7 “High Wit Me” as 7 Days of Funk – 7 Days of Funk
As another release from 7 Days of Funk, “High With Me” takes a unique twist on the conventional music video. Instead of just directing a single video and releasing it per usual, the duo decided to hold a contest and let the fans decide visual would represent the track. The winner was a green screen psychedelic adventure featuring the group’s two members. The runner-up is also posted below.
#6 “Sexual Eruption” – Ego Trippin’
As the first single off of Snoop’s ninth album, “Sexual Eruption” (or the censored “Sexual Seduction”) introduced the world to a Snoop Dogg catered to the grown and sexy. This groovy soul-inspired came with a video straight out of the Blaxploitation era. Directed by Melina and Steven Johnson, the video features Snoop in a Bootsy Collins-ish glam rock outfit holding a keytar while using a voice box, pure nostalgia.
#5 “Peaches N Cream” featuring Charlie Wilson – Bush
As the first single of his thirteenth album, Snoop again revisits his soulful funky roots and brings together another hit with former label-mate Uncle Charlie Wilson. Directed by Aramis Isreal and Hannah Lux Davis, the visuals are an evolution of his past retro style 70’s inspired videos. Using more CGI and green screen effects allows this video to be both a walk down memory lane and an example of what technology is capable of. Prior to the actual video release, there was a computer-animated lyric video directed by Wolf & Crow.
#4 “Who Am I (What’s My Name)”– Doggystyle
As Snoop Doggy Dogg’s debut single, “Who Am I” is simply a perfect introduction to one of the game’s most promising rising stars at the time. Directed by Fab Five Freddy, this video was one of the earliest to utilize CGI as the main plot point. In the video, Snoop and his cohorts have the ability to anamorph in a pack of dogs (with Snoop being a Doberman of course) running amok around Long Beach.
#3 “Beautiful” featuring Pharrell Williams and Charlie Wilson – Paid tha Cost to Be da Bo$$
Shot on location in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Directed by Chris Robinson and produced by Renata Chuquer, the video loosely tells the story of Snoop Dogg falling for a local woman while away on a vacation. This video could double as a travel video, showcasing some of Brazil’s most beautiful tourist attractions including the Escadaria Selarón in the gorgeous Lapa district, a 1920’s mansion in Parque Lage, and the Copacabana.
#2 “Gin and Juice” – Doggystyle
Probably Snoop Dogg’s most popular singles, “Gin and Juice”‘s music video perfectly embodies what it was like to party on the West Coast in the early ’90s. Directed by Dr. Dre, Calvin Caday, and Anita Sisaath (the producers of 2Pac’s “Dear Mama”), the video features a teenage Snoop throwing a wild party “cuz [his] mama ain’t home”. The video features Ricky Harris, Dr. Dre, Warren G, Nate Dogg, Daz Dillinger, Eddie Griffin, and a six-year-old Bow Wow.
#1 “Murder Was the Case” feat Daz Dillinger – Doggystyle
Since the beginning of his career, Snoop Dogg has been deeply interested in the dark supernatural world. He has starred in and produced multiple horror films and has always kept a tone of evil quietly brewing beneath the majority of his work. The start of that trend came with the release of “Murder was the Case” in 1994. The song and video both spin the tale of Snoop Dogg being shot down in a drive-by and coming back to life after making a deal with the devil. As a part of this bargain, Snoop becomes a famous rapper but eventually turns his back on Satan, landing him in prison for not holding his end of the promise. The single also inspired a short film directed by Dr. Dre and Fab Five Freddy going into full detail about the story narrated in the single.
From everyone here at The Source Magazine and TheSource.com, Happy C-Day Uncle Snoop. May you see many more years of ridiculous success, fame, and fortune.
From classic movie scenes to powerful messages to iconic outbursts that have influenced some of the biggest names in today’s Hip Hop, moments from the life of legendary recording artist 2Pacgo viral daily.
While today is no different, a clip that shows the groovy side of the thespian two-stepping inside a nightclub in 1995 to the West Coast classic “Let’s Play House” by Tha Dogg Pound goes viral on Tuesday (Oct. 12). “He was so gangsta,” tweets @Meanie_McFeeny on Twitter in the comment section of the 13-second clip.
Posted on October 12 by the popular social media account, @AuxGod_, on Twitter, the tweet captioned “Tupac dancing to ‘Let’s Play House’ (95)” has generated 52,000 views, 2,466 likes and 714 retweets — so far. The clip stems from rare footage of 2Pac at Club 662 in Las Vegas. The one-time nightclub was owned by Suge Knight. You may watch the full video of Shakur dancing on the packed-out dance floor below.
“Let’s Play House” appears on Tha Dogg Pound’s classic album Dogg Food (1995). Signing with Death Row Records in 1992, their debut album, which also features the infamous diss track “New York New York” featuring Snoop Dogg, peaked at #1 on Billboard in November 1995 and went 2x platinum, according to RIAA.
In 1995, the rapper-actor was shot five times during the New York robbery that spawned the infamous beef with best friend-turned-bitter rival Notorious B.I.G. and sentenced to up to four and a half years in jail for sexual abuse. His third album, Me Against the World, was released in March 1995 via Interscope/Jive Records. While in jail, 2Pac signed a multi-album deal with Death Row Records in September 1995.
On Death Row, 2Pac and Tha Dogg Pound collaborated on the track “Got My Mind Made Up” off the Diamond-selling Death Row debut All Eyez on Me. On the album’s production, Daz Dillinger produced “Ambitionz az a Ridah.” Tha Dogg Pound left Death Row in 2001.
You can revisit the visual to the Dogg Pound classic below.
After serving just eight months on a three year sentence for a sexual assault charge, Tupac Amaru Shakur was released from prison, but not before signing a three album contract with Death Row Records under the directive of Suge Knight on this date in 1995.
In exchange for posting his $1.4 million bail, Tupac signed to Knight’s Death Row label with a $1million advance for Hip Hop’s then living legend. Immediately upon his release, Tupac set in motion the songs and situations that would spawn the East Coast vs. West Coast beef, all while promoting his 10x platinum album All Eyes On Me.
Shakur’s fame and success was cut short after he was shot and killed in Las Vegas in September 1996.
The unmistakable G-Funk sound of Southern California created a style that in the ’90s shaped Hip Hop culture in its own image. Since its conception by Dr. Dre with The Chronic, G-Funk has become one of Hip Hop’s most unique and distinguished sub-genre and has spread West Coast culture across the globe. On this day in Hip Hop history, we celebrate the birth of the self-proclaimed King of G-Funk Nate Dogg.
Known for his smooth, soulful vocals on the hooks of some of the ’90s most popular G-Funk cuts, Nate Dogg became one of the most recognizable voices of the genre. His music career began in 1990 when he and his cousin, Snoop Dogg, formed the group 213 along with fellow Long Beach rapper Warren G. After gaining clout in the newly exploding California rap scene; the group recorded their first demo at the iconic V.I.P. Record Store in Long Beach. The demo was passed along to Dr. Dre, giving Nate Dogg and the rest of 213 a break they needed.
Nate Dogg’s first placement was on Dr. Dre’s classic debut, The Chronic, singing the outro to “Deeez Nuuuts.” He would sign with Death Row Records following the praise and acclaim he received after the album’s release. With Death Row, Nate Dogg continued to sing hooks and harmonize over tracks for various artists on the label. in 1994, he and Warren G released their first hit single, “Regulate.”
On this day in Hip Hop history, Snoop Dogg released his third LP Da Game Is To Be Sold, Not To Be Told, his first release on No Limit Records. Although met with mixed reviews from critics, this #1 album may very well be the most important project of Snoop’s career.
Following the release of his sophomore LP Tha Doggfather, Snoop’s relationship withDeath Row Records began to deteriorate. The aftermath of Dr. Dre leaving the label brought the worst out of its co-founder Suge Knight causing his iron dictatorship business model to only tighten its grip. Snoop’s disapproval of Death Row owning and profiting off of everything that he had recorded since signing along with receiving luxurious gifts in lieu of royalties led to his refusal to write another bar for Knight until his contract was up, excluding of course the infamous “F*ck Death Row.” A year later, Snoop finally decided to call it quits and take his talents down south.
Snoop signed with P. Miller in 1998 and officially became a part of the hottest rap syndicate of the time, No Limit Records. The No Limit army had begun to monopolize the rap game in 1997 with the release of Master P’s Ghetto D which peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200 and set what would be the labels most successful year. Much like the 2010 signing of LeBron James to the Miami Heat, Snoop Dogg’s joining No Limit brought with it nothing but success and took the label to the top of the rap game.
The anticipation of a Snoop Dogg album without Death Row brought about so much hype that the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and sold 520,000 copies in its first week. Critics had a lot to say about this album as it received mixed reviews across a plethora of publications. With the majority of critics citing the change in style and production of this project to fit the No Limit uniform, many praised the transition Snoop was making from a strictly West Coast G-Funk artist to one that could appeal to a wider range of Hip Hop fans. Snoop’s talent mixed with Master P’s marketing genius brought this tape to make chart appearances in ten countries across the globe and sell 3,985,360 copies in the United States alone.
With this album, Snoop proved that he was more than just another West Coast gangsta rapper. Although his album sales of previous albums were enough to set him apart from his local competition, never before had a West Coast artist been able to step outside of California and retain and gain the respect that Snoop did. His ability to thrive in the dirty south during an era of Hip Hop where factions and tension based on geography were at an all-time high showed that his talent was above the petty beef and could shine on any front.
(@AuxGod_) 
